Contractors Might Be Cited For Reef Damage

BOCA RATON -- The contractors responsible for the city`s beach-widening project may face a citation by state environmental officials for damaging the environmentally sensitive offshore reef.

At a meeting of representatives of the state Department of Environmental Regulation, city and county officials on Thursday, it was agreed that injury to the reef was not a direct result of pumping sand ashore to widen the city`s north beach.

``We all agreed it was not a result of the beach restoration,`` said Rick Spadoni of Coastal Planning & Engineering Inc., the city`s consultant on the controversial project. ``The city is not to be cited.``

After examining the reef several times, county officials concluded that ``a heavy cable or chain had moved across the bottom and basically raked or cleared`` the organisms from portions of the reef.

``The project is basically about pumping sand,`` said Jim Berry, of the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management. ``That was completed without a hitch. It had no bearing on this whatsoever.``

The problem may have come as the dredge used in the project was towed away.

Spadoni had checked the southernmost environmental monitoring station about three hours before the dredge, pipe barge and a tugboat left the area on Aug. 17. He found no evidence of harm to the reef in the dredging area.

About a week later, however, a local diver discovered a section of the reef just south of the dredging site where numerous coral heads had been toppled and sponges sheared off at the base or broken in half.

The beach project and the removal of the dredge are two separate issues, Berry said. But, he pointed out that whether the city is liable for the damage may be argued either way -- if the dredge was not in the area to begin with, the damage may have been avoided.

At the two-hour meeting on Thursday in West Palm Beach, Spadoni, Berry, City Engineer Ron Laccheo, Assistant City manager Rita Dubois and representatives of the Department of Environmental Regulation also discussed how they planned to work together to evaluate the damage to the reef.

They viewed videotapes and reviewed maps delineating the damage as viewed by county divers and Spadoni. County officials estimate the size of the area as about 3.1 acres, while Spadoni estimates it at about 2.3 acres.

Divers worked at the end of last week and this week to place many of the coral heads in an upright position. Much of the coral may be saved, if it remains exposed to the light.

To help ensure the heavy coral heads will remain upright, state and county agency representatives said they would try to provide money for an epoxy that would cement the coral in place and keep the heads from rolling over again in rough weather.